Shipping case



Patented 25 1936 PATENT "OFFICE SHIPPING CASE Collins F. Fuller, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 11,

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a shipping case and more particularly to an inexpensive, foldable shipping case or box useful for the shipment of goods such as eggs, vegetables, fruit and 5 the like, and wherein the cost of the container or case must be kept as low as possible while at the same time the case must be sufiiciently strong to protect the contents from breakage during shipment and handling.

An object of the present invention is to provide a strong, durable and efficient shipping case capable of being quickly set up for use or compactly collapsed for storage or shipment in knock-down condition, which case must be manufactured at low cost to thereby reduce expenses incidental to the packaging and shipment of such products, as eggs, vegetables, fruit and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shipping case having a shell body, closures for said body, and flaps along the margins of said body to serve as seals between the body and closures, in which case the body and flaps are formed as integral parts of a single piece of suitable material, such, for instance, as corrugated board, fiber board, and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shipping case having a partitioned shell body of corrugated or like board material with portions of said board serving to rigidify the body when set up and also serving to prevent undue bulging of the body walls in service, the body, partition and rigidifying portions all constituting integral parts of a single piece of board.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, accompanying drawing, and appended claim.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure l is an isometric view of a shipping case constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the case of Figure 1, with the top or upper closure member removed. a

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane indicated by line III-III of Figure 2, and showing the flaps in extended or unfolded position.

The drawing will now be explained.

Generally speaking, the shipping case of the present invention has to do with a case which is light in weight, economical to manufacture, one

1935, Serial No. 30,813

that may be folded or collapsed into small space for storage or shipment, one that may be readily set up for use and one that is sufficiently and adequately strong for the purposes intended.

The case herein illustrated includes a shell-like 5 body A, a top closure B and a bottom closure C.

The shell body A is made from a single piece of material, such as corrugated board, fiber board or the like, which board is suitably scored to provide panels of the proper size and arrangement whereby the panels may be properly folded into box form. a

The single piece of corrugated or like board is scored to provide a plurality of panels I, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The first panel I has at the adjacent extremity of the strip or length of material a wing I which is formed by scoring the strip to form a corner 8. Between the various panels the strip of board is scored or creased to provide corners when the strip is folded into box form. As herein illustrated, the panel 4 is greater in length than any of the other panels for a purpose to be later explained.

In the formation of the scored strip of material into box form, the wing 1 adjacent the panel I is secured to the inside of the panel 4, substantially mid-length thereof, by suitable attaching means, such as staples l4. The wing I is thus secured fiatwise against the inner face of the wall4, as may be observed in Figure 2. Securement of the wing l to. the wall 4, as described, forms the strip of material into a compartment D which comprises one of the compartments of the partitioned shell body. Panels 5 and 6 are then bent, as shown in Figure 2 and the extremity of the panel 6 is secured along thepanel 2, adjacent the partition I, thus forming and defining the compartment E, of the body. The extremity of the panel 6 is secured to the panel 2 in any suitable manner, as by staples l5.

It will therefore be observed that a partitioned shell body is made which, because of the material from which made, and the scoring of the length of material, may be readily collapsed into folded condition for storage or shipment, or extended for use.

Against the outer faces of the panels 3 and 5, the end panels, reinforcing frames l6 and I! are secured, by means of nails driven into these frames from the interior of the panels 3 and 5, or other suitable fastening means. The end frames l6 and I! are of simple construction, shown as comprising two vertical members and two horizontal members, arranged adjacent the margins of the panels 3 and 5.

Inasmuch as the closures B and C are alike in all particulars, the description of one will sufiice for both.

The closure B comprises a panel [8 of corrugated or like material, of the same material as the shell body A is made, and shaped to conform to the open top or bottom of the shell body when the same is set up and ready for use. Against the outer face of the panel I8 is secured a wooden frame work comprising cross cleats l9 and longitudinal cleats 20, the latter being attached to the panel l8 adjacent its longer side margins. The panel I8 is secured to the frame structure bynails entering the structure from inside the panel so as to readily secure the panel and frame together.

The closure member just described, is Secured in place on the body portion A by nails entering the adjacent portions of the end frame reinforcements l6 and I! of thebody A.

In order to rigidify the set-upcase and at the same time to afford a seal between the body and the top and bottom closures B and C, the material of which the body is made, is fashioned with flaps along the top and bottom margins of the several panels of the body. The partition panel I has top and bottom flaps 2|, panel 2 has top and bottom flaps 22, the end panel 3 has top and bottom flaps 24, the side wall panel 4- has top and bottom flaps 25, the end wall 5 has flaps 26, while the panel 6 has flaps 21. These flaps are formed as integral parts of, the single piece of material from which the body is made, and are scored for bending movement with respect to the several panels.

In order to rigidify the set-up box, longitudinally and transversely, the endsof the several flaps, adjacent the corners of the case, are mitered for endwise abutment when the flaps are inturned and held by the closures B and C. The provision of the several flaps prevents undue bulging of the panels of the box and thus serves to rigidify the box to a much greater extent than if the flaps were omitted.

In order to permit the bending of the wing 1 adjacent the panel I, the flaps 2| of the panel are at the ends thereof, adjacent the wing I, cut substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the panel and inwardly from the extremity of the wing, a suflicient distance so that the wing may be turned flatwise against the panel 4, as shown in Figure 2. The other ends of the flap 2| are mitered to cooperate with the mitered ends of the flaps 22 adjacent the corner 9.

Normally, while the case is collapsed, or before it is filled, the several flaps are preferably in substantial alignment with their connected panels, as shown in Figure 3.

When it is desired to use a case of the present invention, the shell body is set up in substantially rectangular form, as shown in Figure 2, and one of the closures B or C is applied to one of the open ends of the shell body, which is done by bending inwardly the several flaps adjacent such end, and the closure is nailed in position. The case is then turned up-side-down, the applied closure becoming the bottom closure for the case, while it is being filled. After the case has been filled with its contents, the flaps along the then top side are bent inwardly, and the other closure applied as described.

In bending the flaps inwardly, the flaps 2| of the partition member I underlie the flaps 25 of the wall panel 4, that is to say the flaps 25 of the panel 4 are between the flaps 2| of the partition member and the adjacent closure members B or C.

The flaps 21 of the panel 6 are, adjacent the free extremity of this panel, not mitered, so thatthe ends of the flaps 21 adjacent the extremity of the panel B where it is attached to the panel 2, overlie the flaps 22 and 2| at the corners 9.

The piece or length of board is scored to provide the several panels described and to form corners 8, 9, III, II, l2 and I3.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide rage without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

, The invention is claimed as follows:

A shipping case including a shell body having side and end walls and a cross partition all formed from a single piece of material suitably scored, flaps along the marginsof said walls and partition and constituting integral parts ofssaid single piece of material, thewalls andpartitions being scored to enable bending of the flaps, and also collapse of the body the ends of the flaps at the corners of the shell being mitered for endabutment when the body is extended and the flaps are bent substantially perpendicularly to the walls to rigidify the walls and shell, the flaps of the partition being mitered at one end to abut the flaps of anadjacent wall and at the other end being cut substantially perpendicularly to the length of the flaps so as to lie substantially parallel to adjacent body walls when the partition flaps are bent substantially perpendicularly to the partition.

COLLINS F. FULLER. 

